Airport security watched as a former airplane mechanic climbed out of an American Airlines plane, walk to a shed and rode away, a court heard yesterday.

Lorenzo Lottimore, 31, pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court yesterday to trespassing and illegally boarding a plane at 3.35 a.m. on Tuesday an incident which sparked a full-scale emergency at L.F. Wade International Airport with Police, firefighters and the bomb squad all called to the scene.

The plane involved in the incident was delayed by eight hours before it could fly to New York's JFK Airport, while a second flight to Miami was also delayed by three hours. In Magistrates' Court yesterday, Crown counsel Robert Welling said that security at the airport noticed a silver ladder by an American Airlines plane and went to investigate.

As they approached, they recognised Lottimore, who had worked at the airport for ten years as a mechanic, folding up the ladder. Confronted, he told the officers "s**t happens," and walked towards a BSA shed.

Security saw Lottimore enter the shed, and then heard a motorcycle start and ride away, the court heard. Hours later Police arrested Lottimore at the Rockland Road, Sandys home he shares with his father and questioned the defendant.

He told Police he was trying to get access to the cockpit in order to look at the plane's instrument approach plates, which helps the pilot land.

However, noticing security, he said he abandoned the plan before entering the cockpit. Lottimore is a trained mechanic and is licenced to pilot small aircraft. He is also training to fly commercial aircraft.

Police are also said to be looking for a key, which Lottimore had as an airport mechanic that could allow him access to a plane's cockpit.

While it is not known where the key is, defence attorney Graveney Bannister, who represented Lottimore in court, said his client was helping Police look for it.

He initially pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to accessing a restricted area and illegally boarding a plane, but Mr. Welling fought to include a charge of trespassing when it was discovered neither of the two offences were punishable by imprisonment.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner expressed shock that in today's climate, the penalties for such crimes were so low — the maximum penalty for accessing a restricted area is a $420 fine, while the punishment for illegally boarding a plane is also limited to a fine.

Trespassing can carry a six-month term of imprisonment.

Mr. Warner said: "With all of this anti-terrorism legislation, these are the only options available? It's surprising, and not at all in the public interest.

"Perhaps I watch too much TV, but when it comes to someone even trespassing onto a plane, I assumed that Bermuda would have stronger legislation."

Following a brief adjournment, the charge of accessing a restricted area was withdrawn, and Lottimore pleaded guilty to trespassing.

Mr. Warner ordered Lottimore to be remanded in custody for two weeks so that a social inquiry report and a psychological assessment could be carried out before sentencing.

"Anyone who goes to the lengths that he did to enter a plane in the middle of the night clearly demonstrates that they have issues," he said.

Mr. Warner also criticised the airport security during proceedings, saying: "I could not believe that he could be seen walking off a plane and be able to just walk off the property with security looking on.

"And if he is in a position to still have a key to a plane's cockpit, this is a travesty. Obviously they are not taking security seriously."

Reacting to reports of the incident, Opposition Leader Kim Swan said that Government should conduct a review of security arrangements and protocols.

"I'm sure Government is already doing this as a standard step following any incident that challenges the protection of such an important facility," he said.

"I have every confidence officials will see that any adjustments deemed necessary will be put in place."

Asked for comment about the incident, Minnette Vélez, an American Airlines spokesperson said: "American Airlines in Bermuda was impacted with flight delays Tuesday due to a security breach at the L.F. Wade International Airport.

"The Bermuda authorities immediately handled the situation."

No-one returned calls from the airport on the security issue.